.NET Framework

Welcome to the Microsoft® .NET Framework version 2.0. The .NET Framework is an integral Windows component that supports building and running the next generation of applications and Web services. The key components of the .NET Framework are the common language runtime and the .NET Framework class library, which includes ADO.NET, ASP.NET, and Windows Forms. The .NET Framework provides a managed execution environment, simplified development and deployment, and integration with a wide variety of programming languages. For a brief introduction to the architecture of the .NET Framework, see .NET Framework Conceptual Overview.

The documentation for the .NET Framework includes an extensive class library reference, conceptual overviews, step-by-step procedures, and information about samples, compilers, and command-line tools. To locate the information that interests you most, see the following list of main topic areas.